At 7:57 a.m. RMI Guides JJ Justman and Jake Beren were standing on Columbia Crest, the highest point on Mt. Rainier, enjoying the views. There was a gentle 5 mph breeze on the “prettiest day in May that [JJ and Jake] have ever seen.”
The teams began their descent about 8:30 and we look forward to seeing them at Rainier Basecamp this afternoon.
Congratulations Summit Climbers!
Thanks to my guide JJ and all the world class guides at RMI, you made the climb an amazing experience! You guys are the best!! Will be back for more .. :)
Posted by: Bo on 5/22/2013 at 11:27 am
Congratulations to Taylor, Callie, Jake, Mark, David, Bo and Andy for a strong climb to the summit!
We woke early this morning, had breakfast, and packed up camp, ready to move to 14,200' before the sun had hit our tents. But the winds up high were too strong for my liking. We repitched our tents to seek shelter from the wind and waited for a few hours for the winds to abate. Unfortunately, the winds up high continued and a mean looking lenticular cloud had formed over Windy Corner, where we were headed. By noon we made the decision to stay in camp another day and avoid the risks of getting caught in a windstorm high in the mountains of Alaska.
So we wait another day. Such is expedition climbing. The weather forecast looks good for the next few days, and we're confident that tomorrow will be the day to move camp. We'll let you know how it goes.
RMI Guide Mike Walter
Mike, I went to the book store and asked the clerk where the self help section was. She said she could help me but that would defeat the purpose. Then I tried to buy a camo jacket but I couldn’t find one. I bought a vest . If I didn’t have arms it would be a jacket. Extra medium. Be safe. Excited to climb with you again. John
Posted by: John on 5/20/2013 at 7:37 pm
Good call. Hunker down and get back to some sport eating. I’m on Otdoor Ed until Thursday night but I’ll try to shoot off a weather report before I go. Be safe. xoxo
There is something about ice climbing in a crevasse that is just mind blowing. Today the group got to experience ice climbing and how much fun it is.
We headed for the foot hills of Mt. Francis to find a deep crevasse suitable for great climbing. Big smiles all day long. Tomorrow we are getting ready to go climbing Radio Tower. The team is excited to climb higher tomorrow and are doing well!
RMI Guide Andres Marin
Hello, this is Dave Hahn calling from Camp 2 on Mount Everest, 21,300'. All is well. We moved up this morning from Camp 1 in perfect weather conditions, actually a little bit hot in the Western Cwm. Very much aware of the dramas playing out above us on the mountain. A number of our friends went to the summit safely and returned in these last couple of days. But, there's also been some problems up high and much of the mountain was pre-occupied these last couple of days, especially today with trying to help a climber, incapacitated high on Lhotse. And the drama is still playing out. Lam Babu, our Sirdar, is putting together a team of Sherpas who will go up tonight and try to get that individual down the Lhotse Face. So we're certainly concerned and going to be tuning in to try and back up Lam; meanwhile, trying to continue our own climb. We're all doing fine here at Advanced Basecamp. Our intention is to stage out of here tomorrow to rest and recuperate from our climb up and get ready for a climb higher. Anyway, lots of exciting times now on Mount Everest as everybody is in motion going for the top and coming down. All good for us and stay tuned. Bye for now.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
It's quite a bit different than my last climb three days ago. Instead of bitter cold walking up to Camp Muir it was scorching hot!!
The team did great and we are rehydrating and getting ready for our summit bid. Stay tuned and see how well our climb goes!!
RMI Guide JJ Justman
RMI Guides Casey Grom and Adam Knoff are leading our first Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir of the 2013 season. Today they are spending the day at Rainier Basecamp preparing for their next five days on Mt. Rainier. Team introductions, gear organizing, and technical training is on their agenda.
While the team was testing out their boots on a hike from Basecamp, they ran into Lou Whittaker, the man who started RMI 44 years ago! Some stories were told and photos were taken, then it was back to training.
The team is anxious to head up on the mountain tomorrow!
"Pigs" is the term of endearment climbers use to describe any heavy load on a climb. On Denali our "pigs" are our sleds, and today we took them for their first walk. The team woke to a bluebird day--welcome after the days of gray--learned about packing, strapping, and roping up our sleds, and then took them out on the trail from Basecamp to 7,600'. Day one of "walking the pigs" can often be a porcine rodeo with lots of grappling and twisting going on, but this crew made it look more like walking poodles at the Westchester Dog Show. We're now at the base of Ski Hill, firing the skillet with fajitas, enjoying the stunning scenery up the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna, and getting ready for tomorrow's push into steeper terrain--this crew is ready for it.
RMI Guide Kel Rossiter
Hey everybody, checking in from the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier where we are settled into Basecamp after a day of exciting weather. We woke this morning in Talkeetna to a couple inches of new snow on the ground and thought it was going to be another day of waiting around for flyable weather. But when I checked in with K2 at 8:00 they said it was actually clear at Basecamp and that as soon as the snow showers in town stopped we'd potentially be on our way.
Well, the clouds broke around noon and our intrepid crew loaded up onto a pair of otters and headed for the Alaska Range. Clouds enroute nearly forced us to turn around but our pilots were able to make it happen and delivered us safely to the Southeast Fork. Some unfortunate planes were forced to turn around after the runway shutdown because of a bank of clouds that rolled in soon after our arrival. These folks eventually made it in later on in the evening when everything cleared up. The views here are breathtaking, if a little humbling.
Wish us luck as we head out on the route first thing tomorrow!
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Today we woke up with clear skies! After breakfast we shouldered our packs and went for a hike to the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. The Fork offers spectacular views of the North Buttress of Mt. Hunter, South Face of Radio Tower, and the West Face of Kahiltna Queen. We also learned about snow anchors and glacier travel. It was really nice to be able to stretch our legs and hike around. It certainly was a fantastic day.
We also had the opportunity to eat dinner outside enjoying the incredible views. The weather is looking nice for the rest of the week, so we will be getting around.
Everyone is doing great!
RMI Guide Andres Marin
Wishing you and the team sunny skies for the remaining part of the trip.
Nicole
Posted by: Nicole areson on 5/20/2013 at 10:32 am
So glad the weather has cleared! The photo is awesome, I can’t wait to see the final pics of this spectacular region. Godspeed and I hope that the weather cooperates the rest of the week. JIm Vaughan
The Four Day Summit Climb led by Brent Okita and the Five Day Summit Climb led by Tyler Reid both reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning just after 7 am PT. Brent reported beautiful weather - bluebird skies without any wind. The low marine layer of clouds we are experiencing in Ashford tops out around 6,000' -7,000’.
The teams started their descent around 8:30 en route to Camp Muir. They will take a break there before continuing their descent to Paradise.
Congratulations to today's teams!
Awesome job, so glad you made it! So proud of my husband Curt! Yaaaay
Posted by: Rebecca McCLellan on 5/19/2013 at 5:01 pm
You did it! Scott I’m so excited to hear you made the summit! You must be so proud! I know I’m proud of you. I can’t wait to hear the stories! Safe travels home. I love you.
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Thanks to my guide JJ and all the world class guides at RMI, you made the climb an amazing experience! You guys are the best!! Will be back for more .. :)
Posted by: Bo on 5/22/2013 at 11:27 am
Congratulations to Taylor, Callie, Jake, Mark, David, Bo and Andy for a strong climb to the summit!
Posted by: Charles on 5/21/2013 at 8:39 pm
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